英语诗词赏析(一)经典励志诗

Unit 2 Poems

英语诗词赏析（一）经典励志诗

Learning aims:

1．To learn about some simple forms of English poems.

3．To develop the reading ability by skimming and scanning the passage.

4．To deepen student s’ literature quality.

Step 1 Enjoy a famous English poem.

The Road Not Taken

---by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood 黄色的树林里分出两条路

And sorry I could not travel both 可惜我不能同时去涉足

And be one traveler, long I stood 我在那路口久久伫立

And looked down one as far as I could 我向着一条路极目望去

To where it bent in the undergrowth 直到它消失在丛林深处

Then took the other, as just as fair 但我却选了另外一条路

And having perhaps the better claim 它荒草萋萋，十分幽寂

Because it was grassy and wanted wear; 显得更诱人、更美丽

Though as for that the passing there 虽然在这两条小路上

Had worn them really about the same 都很少留下旅人的足迹

And both that morning equally lay 虽然那天清晨落叶满地

In leaves no step had trodden black 两条路都未经脚印污染

Oh, I kept the first for another day! 呵，留下一条路等改日再见！

Y et knowing how way leads on to way, 但我知道路径延绵无尽头

I doubted if I should even come back. 恐怕我难以再回返

I shall be telling this with a sigh 也许多少年后在某个地方

Somewhere ages and ages hence: 我将轻声叹息把往事回顾

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--- 一片树林里分出两条路

I took the one less traveled by, 而我选了人迹更少的一条

And that has made all the difference 从此决定了我一生的道路

Step 2 Read the comments of this poem

评论1

Everyone is a traveler, choosing the roads to follow on the map of their continuous journey life. There is never a straight path that leaves one with but a sole direction in which to head. Regardless of the original message that Robert Frost had intended to convey, his poem, "The Road Not Taken", has left its readers with many different interpretations. It is one's past, present and the attitude with which he looks upon his future that determines the shade of the light that he will see the poem in. In any case however, this poem clearly demonstrates Frost's belief that it is the road that one chooses that makes him the man who he is. "And sorry I could not travel both..." It is always difficult to make a decision because it is impossible not to wonder about the opportunity cost, what will be missed out on. There is a strong sense of regret before the choice is even made and it lies in the knowledge that in one lifetime, it is impossible to travel down every path. In an attempt to make a decision, the traveler "looks down one as far as I could".

评论2

The Road Not Taken tells about life choice. Man’s life is related to a journey filled with twists and turns. One has to consider a lot before making a wise choice. Though the diverged roads seem identical, they actually lead to different directions, which symbolize different fates.

2.1 See over one road

In part one, the speaker faced with two roads in the autumnal wood and feel puzzled over which one to choose. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood”, He stood there for a lo ng time and mused on one of them, which was taken by many people. Unfortunately, he was unable to find out which place the，road would take him to, for it is far beyond his ability to know where the road would lead. However, he must choose to take.

2.2. The other one

In part two, he stepped on the other road, “Then took the other, as just as fair”, It was grassy and not taken. His choice would affect every other subsequent choice, and there was no turning back. From his choice for the less trodden road, it could be concluded that he did not like to follow the steps of other people, he wanted his own life choired by himself.

2.3 Helpless

In part three, he decided to choose the less traveled one, but he was aware that he could never have a chance to return to the first road. “I doubted if I should never come back” showed he is helpless.

2.4 Chose the less traveled road

In part four, “I shall be telling this with a sign”, he articulated why he chose the less traveled road, for he expected his life to be unusual and different. But there was no way to foretell the consequences of his choice.

All in all, for the speaker, the road of life was accident and mystical, and his very choice was crucial in determining the consequences of his life. The ordinary people follow other’s choice, while the exceptional ones choose their unique roads of life.

3. Conclusion

3.1 Everyone is a traveler

Everyone is a traveler, choosing the roads to follow on the map of their continuous journey. There is never a straight path but a sole direction in which to head. It is one's past, present and the attitude with which he looks upon his future that determines the shade of the light.

In any case however, this poem clearly explained Frost's belief that it is the road that one chooses that makes him the man who he is. It is always difficult to make a decision because it is impossible not to wonder about the opportunity cost, what will be missed out on. It is impossible to travel down every path. The road that will be chosen leads to the unknown, as does any choice in life. As much he may strain his eyes to see as far the road stretches, eventually it surpasses his vision and he can never see where it is going to lead.

It is the way that he chooses here that sets him off on his journey and decides where he is going. It was something that was obviously not for everyone because it seemed that the majority of people took the other path. There is simply a narrator who makes a decision in his life that had changed the direction of his life from what it may have otherwise been. It allows all readers from all different experiences to relate to the poem.

3.2 Human beings are so weak

In a word, the poem The Road Not Taken is a very beautiful and excellent poem. It is set in a rural natural environment where always inspire the speaker to think of life. It is based on a metaphor in which the journey through life is compared to a journey on a road. And the speaker of the poem has to choose one path instead of another. Even though the two paths look equally attractive, the speaker knows that his choice at this moment may have a significant influence on his future. He does make a decision, hoping that he may be able to visit this place again, yet realizing that such an opportunity is impossible. He imagines himself in the future telling the story of his life, and claiming that his decision to take the road less traveled by, the road few other people have taken, has made all the difference.

This thesis intends to explore Frost’s own view of life. He told us that human beings are so weak when compared with nature and the destiny. Though human beings have made great progress in the past several centuries, there will forever exist something that is far beyond their control. For human, it is unable to do anything useful when he is in conflict with the impersonal force. And it’s also unable to control his own